lairdship

English[edit]

lairdship (countable and uncountable, plural lairdships)

(Scotland) The state or condition of being a laird.
- 1715, S.R. Crockett, Bog-Myrtle and Peat‎^[1]:
  He would as soon have thought of wearing a white linen shirt or having the lairdship of a barony, as of getting ham to his breakfast.
- 1855, Robert Burns, Allan Cunningham, The Complete Works of Robert Burns= Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence.‎^[2]:
  II. I whyles claw the elbow o' troublesome thought; But man is a sodger, and life is a faught: My mirth and guid humour are coin in my pouch, And my freedom's my lairdship nae monarch dare touch.
- 1918, Mary Johnston, Foes‎^[3]:
  They talked of affairs, particular and general, of Ian's late proceedings and the lairdship of Alexander, of men and places that they knew away from this countryside.
The area of land owned by a laird.
- 1874, Edward Bannerman Ramsay, Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character‎^[4]:
  'Laird,' said she (for so she always called him, though his lairdship was of the smallest), 'will ye tell them to bury me whaur I'll lie across at your feet?'